The Department of Geography and Urban Studies offers a major in which
students gain an understanding of this combined field by taking several
basic required courses, supplemented by upper level electives.

Within these guidelines, it is possible for students to choose courses
that focus chiefly on geographical studies, including the major distributions
of physical and natural phenomena across the globe, the relationship
of environment and society, and the concepts underlying spatial analysis
and industrial location; or they may choose a program that emphasizes
urban studies, exploring the social, political, economic, and historic
aspects of urban life including international comparisons of urban society
and the policies that governments have devised to address urban problems.

Gamma Theta Upsilon

Membership in the National Honorary Society in Geography is available
to majors selected on the basis of GPA. Initiations are held each year
and student members can submit articles to the GTU journal and apply
for national scholarships.

Internships

Students are encouraged to apply their skills and knowledge in a credit-bearing
internship that utilizes their academic training. Assignments at planning,
social service and other agencies, as well as firms that specialize
in mapping and geographic data analysis, have helped in securing employment
opportunities.

B.A. Requirements

Foundation Courses
for Major

Department

Course #

Course name

Sem.
Hours

Core Indicator

GUS

C050

Environment
& Society

3

IN

-- or --

-- or --

C062

Geography
of World Affairs

3

IS

R055

Urb
Society:Race,Class.

3

IN/RS

-- or --

-- or --

C060

World
Urban Patterns

3

IS

Subtotal

6

Statistics
course: Students may take one of the following to fulfill
this requirement

Department

Course #

Course name

Sem. Hours

Core Indicator

Sociology

0021

Statistical
Methods in Soc.

4

-- or --

-- or --

Math

C067

Elements
of Statistics

3

QB

-- or --

-- or --

Psychology

C067

Foundations
in Statistical Methods

3

QB

-- or --

-- or --

Sociology

C067

Social
Statistics

3

QB

-- or --

-- or --

Another
appropriate statistics course

3

CORE
Subtotal

9

Intermediate Courses

Two
of the following four Intermediate Courses:

Department

Course #

Course name

Sem. Hours

Core Indicator

GUS

0130

Economic
Geography

3

W131

Urban
Systems in a Global Society

3

0150

The
Urban Environment

3

0156

Environment
& Development

3

Intermediate
Subtotal
6

Additional Requirements or
Another Appropriate Course

Department

Course #

Course name

Sem. Hours

Core Indicator

GUS

W282

Research
Methods in GUS

3

WI

W300

Sr.
Seminar/Capstone

3

WI*

Subtotal
for Additional Requirements

6

Electives
in the Major

Students
must take 5 electives in GUS. At least four of the five
must be upper level (courses numbered 100 or above)

Electives
Subtotal

15

TOTAL

36

Requirements for the Minor

The Geography and Urban Studies minor is designed to complement a range
of concentrations by providing insights into urban processes and/or
a geographical/ecological perspective. Students can also use the
minor to acquire marketable skills such as mapping and spatial analysis.

CORE

Department

Course #

Course name

Sem. Hours

Core Indicator

GUS

C050

Environment
& Society

3

IN

-- or --

-- or --

C062

Geography
of World Affairs

3

IS

-- or --

-- or --

R055

Urban
Society: Race, Class.

3

IN/RS

-- or --

-- or --

C060

World
Urban Patterns

3

IS

Subtotal

3

Electives

Students must take 5 GUS electives, a cognate may be substituted for
one of these. At least 4 of the 5 must be upper level (courses numbered
100 or above)
18

Tracks

The department has identified several informal areas of concentration
to assist students in making course selections. These do not constitute
formal requirements, but rather provide guidelines for developing a
personalized curriculum. Students can focus on the following themes:
1. Urban Issues
2. Environmental Problems
3. International Development
4. Geographical Techniques

Double Major with the College of Education

It is now possible to become certified as a secondary school social
studies teacher by combining a major in Geography and Urban Studies
with a major in Social Studies Education. It is also possible to gain
certification through a GUS major and education minor following

Certificates of Specialization in Travel and Tourism

Students may take a series of courses that examine the rapidly growing
fields of tourism and recreation from an urban/geographical perspective.
Two certificates are available.

Certificate of Specialization in the Geography of Tourism

The courses in this certificate program examine all the world's culture
regions and the linkages among them. Courses can be selected based on
a student's interest in domestic or international tourism. Additional
courses would then be chosen to help the student acquire a sense of
place as well as strategies for learning about new locations. Some students
might also want to study geographical information systems (GIS) to assess
the character of specific tourist destinations.

Certificate in the Geography of Sports, Recreation and Tourism Planning

Students in this program who are interested in urban recreation and
sports can take courses related to urban social and policy issues, while
those interested in outdoor/rural recreation can take courses on environmental
issues. The course on geographical information systems (GIS) is particularly
relevant to tourism planning.

Distinction in the Major

Geography and Urban Studies students can graduate with distinction
if they fulfill the following requirements: A GPA of 3.5 in the major
and overall 3.00 GPA, enrollment in at least one graduate or double-numbered
course, the completion of an honors paper under the supervision of a
faculty member, and the presentation of a paper in a public forum. Students
who think that they may qualify for distinction should contact the undergraduate
advisor by their junior year.